Receptacle and handle therefor



p 24, 1963 E. c. KOZLOWSKI ETAL 3,104,795

RECEPTACLE AND HANDLE THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1961 INVENTORS H s y W M 2W MK 0 0 K. W cm 4 W/ r EM ers Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 28, 1951, Ser. No. 134,229 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to a box or the like receptacle and to a novel handle construction for use therewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a box with a novel handle of a novel construction which can be easily made and which can be quickly and effectively anchored to the box.

In carrying out this object the present invention provides a box with spaced slots having oppositely extending tongues and into which the attaching portion of the handle may be inserted. The attaching portion of the handle is in the form of an expansible abutment which cooperates with the tongue portion of the slot to effectively anchor the handle in the slot against removal therefrom.

The novel handle of the present invention can be readily formed by folding up a blank having fold lines and the abutment forming portions thereof can be flattened to pass through the slots and thereafter expanded to interlock with the togue portion of the slot and hold the handle in place.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a box with the handle in place.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end portion of the blank from which the box is made.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the handle-receiving slot.

FIG. 5 shows the blank for making the handle.

FIG. 6 shows the blank in folded relation to form the handle.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the handle.

FIG. 8 is a detail partial view of the handle showing the expansible abutment.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing the attaching portion of the handle in the slot.

As herein illustrated the box is a rectangular box formed from a blank, one end of which is shown in FIG. 3, having a front panel it), a side panel 11 connected thereto by a fold line 12, the back panel 13 being connected to the panel 11 by fold line 14 and the side panel 15 connected to the back panel 13 by a fold line 16 and provided with a glue flap 16a. Each of the panels is provided with an end flap. As shown in FIG. 3, end flap a is connected to the panel 10 by fold line 17; end flap 11a is connected to the panel 11 by fold line 18; end flap 13a is connected to panel 13 by fold line 19 and end flap a is connected to the panel 15 by fold line 20. The flaps, when superposed as shown in FIG. 2, form the closure for the end of the receptacle or box.

Between the side panels 11, 15 and their end flaps 11a, 7

15a there is an undulated slit 21 which terminates on the fold lines 18, 20. The undulation in the slits between each side panel and end flap forms oppositely extending 3,104,795 Patented Sept. 24, 1963 ice The handle H is formed from a blank 24, as shown in FIG. 5, which is divided by longitudinal fold lines 25, 26 into a center panel 27 and side panels 28, 29. The side panels are provided adjacent each end with a transverse fold line 30, 31 forming end flaps. The center panel is provided with transverse slots 32 at each end, each having an edge 33 offset from the transverse lines 30, 31 and a longitudinal extending slit 34 extending partially from the transverse edge toward the end of the blank.

When the blank is folded, as shown in FIG. 6, the side panels 28, 29 are overlapped and adhered together and forma tubular handle. The adhered-together end portions of the side panels overlie the center panel and form an expansible abutment 35 which can be folded flat for insertion into slot 23. After it has been inserted, the tongue portion 22 extends into the slot 32 and will engage the edge 33 of the handle and'cause the abutment to expand and interlock with the container, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, to hold the handle in place and permit limited outward movement of the handle as permitted by the expansion of the abutment as afforded by the slit portion thereof.

Preferably the end flaps 10a, 13a have notches 36 therein to provide clearance for the handle when it is inserted in the slot 23.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the handle can be formed quickly and easily from flat stock and can be readily inserted in a single operation into the slots 23 of the box to interlock therewith and provide a strong interconnection between the handle and the box.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

1. A box having spaced slots, each formed by an undulating cut to produce oppositely extending tongue portions, and a handle having a transverse slot located inwardly of each end and having a longitudinal slit intersecting said transverse slot to form expansible abutments at each end adapted to be flattened for insertion through the slots, with the tongue portions extending into the transverse slot and engaging the abutments to expand the abutments and interlocking therewith to prevent release of the handle from the slots.

2. A box flolded from a blank having side walls provided with end flaps connected theretoby a fold line and having slots formed by an undulating cut terminating on the fold line and extending into the end flaps to form tongue portions thereon, and a handle folded from a flat blank and having overlying portions at each end, one of said portions at each end having a longitudinal slit extending inwardly from the end and forming expansible abutments adapted to be flattened for insertion through the slots, with the tongue portions of the slots engaging and spreading the abutments and interlocking therewith forming a center attaching end portion having an inner a formed at each end which is to be flattened for insertion through the slot, with the tongue portion of the slot engaging the inner end of the abutment to spread the abutment and interlocking therewith to prevent release of the handle from the slot.

4. A one-piece,'three ply handle comprising a center panel and overlapping side panels overlapping said center panel, said handle being adapted to be mounted on a box having spaced handle-receiving slots with the adjacent Walls of said slots shaped to form tongue portions, said handle having a transverse slot located inwardly of each end of said center panel completely traversing the same and having a longitudinal slit intersecting said transverse slot intermediate thereof and extending outwardly toward the end of the center panel, said slot and slit cooperating to form expansible abutments at each end adapted to be flattened for insertion through the slot, with the tongue portion of the slot extending into the transverse slot and engaging the abutments to spread the abutments and interlocking therewith to prevent release of the handle from the slot 5. A handle for use with a box having spaced handlereceiving slots provided on adjacent walls with oppositely extending tongue portions, comprising a folded flat blank having superposed panels secured together to form tubular attaching end portions, the innermost panel having transverse slots at the inner end of each of the tubular end portions and a longitudinal slit extending from the slot for a portion of the length of each end portion forming the tubular attaching end portions into an expansible abutment at each end of the handle which can be fiattened for insertion through the slot, with the tongue por- 7 tion of the slot engaging the inner end of the abutment to spread the abutment and interlocking therewith to prevent release of the handle from the slot.

6. A handle adapted to be mounted on a box having spaced handle-receiving slots provided on adjacent walls with oppositely extending tongue portions, said handle being folded from a flat blank having longitudinal fold lines defining center and side panels, each side panel being provided with transverse fold lines to form an attached end portion at each end thereof and each center panel having a transverse slot forming a center attaching end portion having an'inner edge space from said transverse fold lines, said center attaching end portion having a longitudinal slit at the inner end extending from the slot for a portion of the length of the end portion whereby when said side panels are folded and secured together an expansible abutment is formed at each end' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Seifer Feb. 28,1938 Van Rosen Sept. 24, 1957 

1. A BOX HAVING SPACED SLOTS, EACH FORMED BY AN UNDULATING CUT TO PRODUCE OPPOSITELY EXTENDING TONGUE PORTIONS, AND A HANDLE HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT LOCATED INWARDLY OF EACH END AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLIT INTERSECTING SAID TRANSVERSE SLOT TO FORM EXPANSIBLE ABUTMENTS AT EACH END ADAPTED TO BE FLATTENED FOR INSERTION THROUGH THE SLOTS, WITH THE TONGUE PORTIONS EXTENDING INTO THE TRANSVERSE SLOT AND ENGAGING THE ABUTMENTS TO EXPAND THE ABUTMENTS AND INTERLOCKING THEREWITH TO PREVENT RELEASE OF THE HANDLE FROM THE SLOTS. 